seashore

American  

[see-shawr, -shohr] / ˈsiˌʃɔr, -ˌʃoʊr /

noun

1. land along the sea or ocean.

2. Law. the ground between the ordinary high-water and low-water marks.

---

seashore British  

/ ˈsiːˌʃɔː /

noun

1. land bordering on the sea

2. the land between the marks of high and low water

---

Etymology

Origin of seashore

First recorded in 1520–30; sea + shore ¹

Explanation

The seashore is the land that borders an ocean or sea. She sells seashells on the seashore because that’s where the shells are, on the beach. Now say the whole thing three times fast. You can call the seashore the coast, the beach, or even just the shore. It's the area right next to the sea, and it can be rocky and dramatic or soft and sandy. Sometimes scientists use this word to mean the specific area that's covered with water at high tide but uncovered at low tide. This area is also known as the intertidal zone.

Example Sentences

"One of the boats with the military personnel reached the seashore and tied a long rope to a tree. That rope was then brought to the boats," Mr Noor said.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2025

“The national seashore, from an ecological standpoint, was a train wreck,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

The wind carries the lethargic turtles to the shorelines, which are monitored in cold weather by volunteers and seashore biologists.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2024

Looking to nature for inspiration, the McGill-led research zeroed in on the marine mussel byssus, a fibrous holdfast, which these bivalve mollusks use to anchor themselves in seashore habitats.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2023

Beach towels are strewn across the lumpy seashore, striped umbrellas and plastic pails anchored beside them.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day